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Computer Use
Computer Use Attribute: Intellegence Check: Most normal computer operations don’t require a Computer Use check (though a character might have to make a Research check; see the Research skill description). However, searching an unfamiliar network for a particular file, writing computer programs, altering existing programs to perform differently (better or worse), and breaking through computer security are all relatively difficult and require skill checks. Find File: This skill can be used for finding files or data on an unfamiliar system. The DC for the check and the time required are determined by the size of the site on which the character is searching. Finding public information on the Internet does not fall under this category; usually, such a task requires a Research check. This application of the Computer Use skill only pertains to finding files on private systems with which the character is not familiar. Defeat Computer Security This application of Computer Use can’t be used untrained. The DC is determined by the quality of the security program installed to defend the system. If the check is failed by 5 or more, the security system immediately alerts its administrator that there has been an unauthorized entry. An alerted administrator may attempt to identify the character or cut off the character’s access to the system. Sometimes, when accessing a difficult site, the character has to defeat security at more than one stage of the operation. If the character beats the DC by 10 or more when attempting to defeat computer security, the character automatically succeeds at all subsequent security checks at that site until the end of the character’s session (see Computer Hacking below). Computer Hacking Breaking into a secure computer or network is often called hacking. When a character hacks, he or she attempts to invade a site. A site is a virtual location containing files, data, or applications. A site can be as small as a single computer, or as large as a corporate network connecting computers and data archives all over the world—the important thing is that access to the site connects the user to everything within it. Some sites can be accessed via the Internet; others are not connected to any outside network and can only be tapped into by a user who physically accesses a computer connected to the site. Every site is overseen by a system administrator—the person in charge of the site, and who maintains its security. Often, the system administrator is the only person with access to all of a site’s functions and data. A site can have more than one system administrator; large sites have a system administrator on duty at all times. A character is the system administrator of his or her personal computer. When a character hacks into a site, the visit is called a session. Once a character stops accessing the site, the session is over. The character can go back to the site in the future; when he or she does, it’s a new session. Several steps are required to hack into a site: Covering Tracks This step is optional. By making a Computer Use check (DC 20), a character can alter his or her identifying information. This imposes a –5 penalty on any attempt made to identify the character if his or her activity is detected. Access the Site There are two ways to do this: physically or over the Internet. Physical Access A character gains physical access to the computer, or a computer connected to the site. If the site being hacked is not connected to the Internet, this is probably the only way a character can access it. A variety of skill checks may be required, depending on the method used to gain access. Internet Access Reaching a site over the net requires two Computer Use checks. The first check (DC 10) is needed to find the site on the net. The second is a check to defeat computer security (see the Computer Use skill description). Once a character has succeeded in both checks, the character has accessed the site. Locate What You’re Looking For To find the data (or application, or remote device) the character wants, make a Computer Use check. See Find File under the skill description. Defeat File Security Many networks have additional file security. If that’s the case, the character needs to make another check to defeat computer security. Do Your Stuff Finally, the character can actually do what he or she came to do. If the character just wants to look at records, no additional check is needed. (A character can also download data, although that often takes several rounds—or even several minutes, for especially large amounts of information—to complete.) Altering or deleting records sometimes requires yet another check to defeat computer security. Other operations can be carried out according to the Computer Use skill description. Defend Security If the character is the system administrator for a site (which may be as simple as being the owner of a laptop), he or she can defend the site against intruders. If the site alerts the character to an intruder, the character can attempt to cut off the intruder’s access (end the intruder’s session), or even to identify the intruder. To cut off access, make an opposed Computer Use check against the intruder. If the character succeeds, the intruder’s session is ended. The intruder might be able to defeat the character’s security and access his or her site again, but the intruder will have to start the hacking process all over. Attempting to cut off access takes a full round. One surefire way to prevent further access is to simply shut the site down. With a single computer, that’s often no big deal—but on a large site with many computers (or computers controlling functions that can’t be interrupted), it may be time-consuming or even impossible. To identify the intruder, make an opposed Computer Use check against the intruder. If the character succeeds, the character learns the site from which the intruder is operating (if it’s a single computer, the character learns the name of the computer’s owner). Identifying the intruder requires 1 minute and is a separate check from cutting off access. This check can only be made if the intruder is accessing the character’s site for the entire length of the check—if the intruder’s session ends before the character finishes the check, the character automatically fails. Degrade Programming A character can destroy or alter applications on a computer to make use of that computer harder or impossible. The DC for the attempt depends on what the character tries to do. Crashing a computer simply shuts it down. Its user can restart it without making a skill check (however, restarting takes 1 minute). Destroying programming makes the computer unusable until the programming is repaired. Damaging programming imposes a –4 penalty on all Computer Use checks made with the computer (sometimes this is preferable to destroying the programming, since the user might not know that anything is wrong, and won’t simply decide to use a different computer). A character can degrade the programming of multiple computers at a single site; doing so adds +2 to the DC for each additional computer. Fixing the degraded programming requires 1 hour and a Computer Use check against a DC equal to the DC for degrading it + 5. Write Program A character can create a program to help with a specific task. Doing so grants the character a +2 circumstance bonus to the task. A specific task, in this case, is one type of operation with one target. The DC to write a program is 20; the time required is 1 hour. Operate Remote Device Many devices are computer-operated via remote links. If the character has access to the computer that controls such systems, the character can either shut them off or change their operating parameters. The DC depends on the nature of the operation. If the character fails the check by 5 or more, the system immediately alerts its administrator that there has been an unauthorized use of the equipment. An alerted administrator may attempt to identify the character or cut off his or her access to the system. Type of Operation DC Time Shut down passive remote (including cameras and door locks) 20 1 round per remote Shut down active remote (including motion detectors and alarms) 25 1 round per remote Reset parameters 30 1 minute per remote Change passcodes 25 1 minute Hide evidence of alteration +10 1 minute Minimum security –5 — Exceptional security +10 — Maximum security +15 — False Sensor Reading This use of the Computer Use skill allows the character to modify ship, vehicle, mecha, or personal sensors in order to generate false sensor readings. This can be done in two ways: reprogramming the sensors that the character wishes to give false readings, or using sensors to broadcast a false sensor profile so that other sensors produce incorrect readings. Either method may be used as a full-round action. In order to alter a sensor system to produce false readings whenever it is used, the character need only make a normal Computer Use check (using any modifiers to the DC that would normally factor into a check on a standard computer system) to alter the sensor’s programming. Once the check is made, the character may determine whether or not the sensors provide exaggerated results (detecting small starfighters as massive capital ships, sensing high levels of radiation where the radiation levels are low, etc.), understated results (detecting clean air where there are toxic gases, detecting a small scout fighter where there is a heavy cruiser, etc.), or no results at all. Suspicious characters may recalibrate the sensors by making a Computer Use check of their own, with a DC equal to the Computer Use check of the original character who altered the sensors. The second method of creating a false sensor profile uses an existing sensor array to broadcast false readings so that any attempts to scan the starship, mecha, character, etc. made by other sensors produce inaccurate results. The character may then make a Computer Use check to alter the sensor profile in order to produce false readings; the base DC for this check is 15, modified by the following factors: Condition DC Modifier Desired results indicate target is drastically larger/smaller +5 per size category Desired results indicate greater/lesser armament +1 per weapon or defensive system Desired results indicate different composition or construction +5 Desired results indicate more/fewer life forms aboard (ships, mecha, vehicles) +1 per life form Interface with Alien Computers Since human contact with alien species will inevitably lead to the need to interface technologies, this use of the Computer Use skill allows a character to connect the computer systems of two different species together. Since most forms of technology use some form of energy pulses (magnetic, electrical, or even gravitybased) in order to power their computers, connecting two normally incompatible computer systems is simply a matter of finding a way to translate these impulses between the two computer systems. This can be done as a full-round action (check DC 20) if the character is already knowledgeable about how to create such a translation, and when successful the character may use his own native technology in order to interface with the alien computer system as though it were completely compatible with his own. For example, a human encountering a computer system aboard a starship belonging to a known alien species might make this Computer Use check to connect his laptop computer to the ship’s computer, after which he may then perform any standard uses of the Computer Use skill on the alien ship’s computer as though it were a standard human computer system. Note that the above use, requiring simply a full-round action, applies only to alien computer systems with which the character (or, at least his culture) is marginally familiar. When encountering a computer system belonging to an unfamiliar alien species, the character must spend several days studying the alien computer system before he may interface his own technology with it. The number of days required to do so is equal to 30 days minus the number of ranks the character has in the Computer Use skill. For example, a character with 10 ranks in the Computer Use skill must spend 20 days studying the alien computer system (30 - 10 ranks = 20) before he may interface his own computer with the alien system as described in the above paragraph. Gamemasters may adjust this time based on how alien the technology is and the frequency with which the character’s culture encounters alien technology. Lock Workstation This application of the Computer Use skill allows a character to lock a particular computer or network into performing the same task without interruption. This is similar in many ways to the Crash Computer aspect of the skill, but differs in a few fundamental ways. First, the computer does not actually cease to function, and instead continues to perform a single task uninterrupted. Second, the character using this application of the skill may select a single task which the computer performs until deactivated. Third, anyone else attempting to use the computer that has been locked into a task will find themselves unable to access the computer at all, despite the fact that it continues to function. This use of the skill requires a full-round action and a Computer Use check (DC 25) to initiate. The character declares what action he wants the computer to continually perform (sound an alarm, deactivate sensors, transmit vulgar text messages to nearby communications devices, etc.) and then the computer continues to perform that task until it is deactivated or until the character that locked the workstation commands it to cease. Note that whatever action the user tells the computer to repeatedly perform must be one that the character would normally be able to do (and Gamemasters are encouraged to have the character make this skill check before setting the computer to its task). Another character may break through this lock by making a Computer Use check equal to the final result of the Computer Use check that locked the workstation in the first place. Power Up/Power Down System: When aboard a vehicle, starship, mecha, or space station, a character in control of the central computer may use the Computer Use skill to siphon power away from or send power to certain systems. With a simple Computer Use check (DC 20) the character may deactivate any one system (such as shields, life support, engines, weapons, etc.) as a move action. If successful, that system immediately ceases to function until it is powered up again. Powering up a system is also a Computer Use check (DC 20) that can be performed as a move action. Reprogram Robot Friend-or-Foe Subroutine: Altering a robot’s attitude toward a certain individual or group is similar in many respects to altering an NPC’s attitude (as defined under the Diplomacy skill). Rather than using the Diplomacy skill to reason with the robot, you may simply bypass this process and use Computer Use to change the robot’s base programming. The DC for changing the robot’s attitude is based on the nature of the attitude shift. The Computer Use DC is calculated by adding 10 to the Diplomacy check DC for the equivalent attitude change. Initial Attitude New Attitude Hostile Unf. Indif. Friendly Helpful Hostile — 30 35 45 55 Unfriendly — 15 25 35 45 Indifferent — — 11 25 35 Friendly — — — 11 25 The advantage of using this method over simply using Diplomacy against the NPC robot is that henceforth, regardless of the circumstances, the robot will treat you with the same attitude that you have just programmed it with. Additionally, you can alter the robot’s attitude toward other characters and groups as well, using the robot’s base attitude toward that group to determine the check DC. The time taken to perform this use of the skill is equal to the check’s DC × 1 minute. Condition DC Modifier Robot is unfriendly toward you +5 Robot is hostile toward you +10 Reprogram Robot Task Routine: Reprogramming a robot to perform a very specific task involves restructuring the robot’s logic protocols. You can program a robot with a single command at a time, combining individual commands to perform more complex tasks as needed. The base DC for this check is 10 + the robot’s Intelligence modifier, and requires 1 round per command. Consult the following table to determine any modifiers to the Computer Use check DC. Command DC Modifier Command endangers the robot +10 Command endangers friends, allies, or owners of the robot +5 Command violates other programmingdirectives +15 For example, programming a security robot (Intelligence 10) to look away from where the party is sneaking into the building for 5 minutes has a DC of 25 (10 +15 for violating other programming directives, in this case to monitor the people entering the building). Commanding that same security robot to look away for 5 minutes, then to walk up to the door and bar anyone from entering requires 2 checks, each at DC 25. Commanding that the robot look away for 5 minutes, bar the door, allow the party to leave, then blow the door up with explosives requires 4 checks (DC 25 for the first three, and then DC 40 for the final check). Use Alien Computers Though technically not a new use for a skill, using alien computer systems can be somewhat problematic due to different interfaces and operating systems. Any attempt to use an alien computer system with which you are not explicitly familiar adds a +10 penalty to the DC of any Computer Use checks. This penalty is reduced to +5 if you possess the appropriate Read/Write Language skill for that particular alien computer system. Special A character can take 10 when using the Computer Use skill. A character can take 20 in some cases, but not in those that involve a penalty for failure. (A character cannot take 20 to defeat computer security or defend security.) A character with the Gearhead feat gets a +2 bonus on all Computer Use checks. Time Computer Use requires at least a full-round action. The GM may determine that some tasks require several rounds, a few minutes, or longer, as described above. Category:Skills